Montclair in Japan

Caption:

The group of 12 students, two faculty/staff chaperones and their tour guide, receiving the certificates for completion of the Kakehashi Project

From June 9th
to the 19th 2014, twelve MSU Art and Design majors participated in
the “Kakehashi Project- the Bridge for Tomorrow.” Funded entirely by the
government of Japan through the Japan-US Educational Commission (Fulbright
Japan), the program will eventually bring a total of 2,300 American students to
Japan for an all-expense paid 10 day study tour. The Montclair State university
students participated in the “Student Creators” project, forming a delegation along
with five other US universities including Rhode Island School of Design,
Massachusetts College of Art, the University of Cincinnati, Catawba College,
and LIM Institute.

The
program’s primary objective is to promote interest in Japan, contributing to
Japan’s economic recovery, and to raise awareness of Japan’s values and
strengths. The program also brings Japanese students to the US, and Montclair
State University has been selected to host students from Tokyo University of
the Arts in November.

During their
stay, the MSU student had the opportunity to visit Tokyo University of the Arts
and spend the day with their counterparts, seeing the painting, sculpture, and
craft studios, and developed an understanding of the unique objectives of the
school. MSU students also visited Kanazawa College of the Arts and saw a very
different approach to teaching art and design.

The students
and faculty/staff chaperones (Prof. Abby Lillethun of Art and Design and Wendy
Gilbert-Simon of the Global Education Center) spent the 5 nights in Tokyo and 4
nights in Kanazawa City.

Students were
able to get a taste for both contemporary urban atmosphere and thriving traditional
art forms, along with the many modern expressions of the combination coming
from young artists..

Several
major museums were part of the itinerary, including the Tokyo National Museum,
the Kanazawa Kutani Museum and the National Museum of Modern Art, where the MSU
Art and Design majors could be seen deeply absorbed in studying prints,
paintings, armor, ceramics and textiles.

The students
heard lectures by experts from a range of fields, including a crash course on
the Japanese language, a discussion on how to evaluate design, led by the head
of the Good Design.

The students
learned a great deal about traditional Japanese music and art, and were treated
to several performances, from a student recital of traditional Noh music and
dance by students from the Tokyo University of the Arts traditional to
professional shamisen solo music to a performance and introductory lecture at the
National Kabuki Theater.

For these
MSU students majoring in animation and illustration, fashion studies, graphic
design and industrial design, contemporary pop culture was also a focus, and
the trip included visits to the neighborhood of Shibuya (comparable to Times
Square), the fashion center Harajuku, the electronics and comics center
Akihabara, and the ultra-modern Odaiba district.

The group was
taken to the Japan Sea coast city of Kanazawa, known for its traditional arts
and crafts. There they participated in several hands-on experiences, including
a dying workshop, a tea ceremony and opportunities to try on Noh theater masks
and costumes. They also visited a beautifully preserved samurai residence and
explored one Japan’s most renowned traditional gardens, getting a sense of how
the aesthetics they had seen in the museums is conveyed in landscape design.

MSU will
welcome art and music students from Tokyo National University of the Arts in
November, at which time there will be panels and demonstrations by both the MSU
students and the Japanese students, showing how their experience has been
translated into their own art work.